The present invention relates to a convertible having a windscreen which is arranged behind a row of seats and, more particularly to a convertible whose windscreen extends upwards in the operating position approximately perpendicularly between two adjustable side panes that are height-adjustable on a curved path.
DE-GM 88 05 994 discloses an open-top motor vehicle which has a device which is intended to reduce air streams in the front seat area. For this purpose, a partition which occupies the internal cross-section of the vehicle is provided behind the front seats. This windscreen is constructed as a roller blind which can be pulled out upwards from an out-of-use position lowered to the vehicle floor into an operating position. The windscreen is suspended in its end position either on a cross bar of a roll bar or suspended on the rear of the front seat or on rear side panes which are height-adjustable along a curved path in the transverse direction of the vehicle.
This windscreen has to be placed into its end position and locked manually. If during the journey the air streams should become too unpleasant for the driver of the vehicle, the driver must first stop the motor vehicle since securing the windscreen during the journey requires too much attention. The end position of the windscreen in its operating position is fixed and, for visual reasons, matched to the level of the roll bar or of the front seats.
An object of the present invention is to provide a windscreen, arranged behind a row of seats of a convertible, with auxiliary force actuation using an actuator present in the vehicle and of making it individually height-adjustable.
The object has been achieved by making the side panes adjustable with auxiliary force activation, and providing an entrainer acting between a side pane and the windscreen. The entrainer is arranged on at least one of the side panes. By virtue of the entrainer, the position of the windscreen can be changed in accordance with movement of the side pane so as to compensate the transverse path of the side pane relative to the windscreen.
An entrainer on the rear auxiliary force-actuated moveable side panes causes the windscreen to be moved in accordance with the movement of at least one side pane. As a result, any person who has access to the operating switches of the side panes can influence the desired operating position of the windscreen. Since these operating switches are normally easy to reach also for the driver of the vehicle on a center console, the windscreen can be moved up without difficulty into its operating position without distracting the driver even when driving. An additional drive is dispensed with by using the driven side panes. If the air streams are not unpleasant for the vehicle occupants even with the side panes opened, the windscreen is lowered at the same time in order to improve the visual appearance of the convertible.
The necessary entrainer on the side pane which has to compensate the curved path of the pane with respect to the windscreen can be configured as an elastic belt, a telescopic tube or similar. The upper end of the windscreen roller blind is securely wound around the entrainer or else the entrainer rests against a sturdy windscreen frame with which it moves together. An entrainer which projects away from the side pane and engages on the windscreen frame during the movement of the pane can also be utilized with a windscreen frame.
If the entrainer can be removed from the side panes, the windscreen may optionally not be moved together with the side panes or need only be installed in the place provided between the side panes when required. There are numerous, generally known alternatives for detachably securing the entrainer without departing from the scope of the present invention.
Windscreen embodiments such a roller blind or a pivotable windscreen frame are already known. The aforesaid entrainers can be used in such embodiments. If the lower edge of the windscreen only begins at the level of the upper edge of the vehicle, sufficient legroom remains for the vehicle occupants sitting behind it.